


Take to the Sky

by limenitis_arthemis



Category: Teen Wolf (TV), Tori Amos (Musician)
Genre: Gen, Humor, Little Earthquakes (Album) -Tori Amos, M/M, Magic, Winter (Single) B-sides - Tori Amos, overly happy ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-14
Updated: 2013-05-14
Packaged: 2017-12-11 20:46:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,629
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/803114
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/limenitis_arthemis/pseuds/limenitis_arthemis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lydia’s Creek, with dragons.</p><p>What if Lydia and Stiles had actually become close, if discordant, friends in third grade? What if she'd gone into the preserve with him that fateful night instead of Scott?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Take to the Sky

**Author's Note:**

> If Lydia is Dawson then Stiles is the Pacey and the Joey. There's no rowboat.  
> Peter’s clearly the swamp monster from Dawson’s atrocious horror movie, although that costume may have been better than Teen Wolf’s CGI.  
> This is not actually a Dawson’s Creek AU in any way shape or form though, really. Lydia and Stiles are friends and there’s a ladder. That’s it. So maybe they are Sam and Clarissa. And um, just one dragon. Complete, standalone one-shot, but there's a tangential relationship to Lydia's Little Earthquakes.
> 
>  
> 
> Lydia uses some ablest language on Stiles (idiot, doofus). Tiny disparagement of the Yankees. Brief mention of tentacles with suggestion that they might have some erotic usage.

[Take To The Sky](http://youtu.be/hHWLMIroeAo)

"If you don't like me just a little Why do you hang around?" 

*****

Stiles carefully climbs the ladder he’s had stationed at the window since seventh grade and raises the sash.

“Lydia. Lydia. Psst. Wake up.”

“Go away Stiles,” she mutters, not rising from her bed.

“Lydia, c’mon.”

She screams a few obscenities into her pillow and finally sits up, mostly to glare at him. “It’s midnight. I need my beauty sleep.”

“Oh Lydia, you know you’ll still beautiful to me no matter what, even with dark circles under your eyes.” She throws the pillow at his head, but her aim is a little off in the dark and it lands harmlessly on the floor in front of him.

“Listen, they found a body in the preserve. Actually, get this, half a body! We’re gonna go find the other half.”

“Stiles, you are a freak. Go home.”

“Please. Please, please, please. This is the most exciting thing to happen here since Greenberg got sent to the ER with a vibrator stuck up his ass.”

“Why can’t you ask Scott to go with you?”

“I tried that, he almost killed me with a baseball bat. What’s up with that? He never even played baseball. Did he steal my bat?"

"Focus Stiles!"

“Anyway, apparently he’s trying to get a good night’s sleep before practice tomorrow. Says he’s playing this year, in fact he’s going to make first line.”

“He’s going to need more than sleep if he wants to make front line,” she says and wrinkles her nose thinking about McCall’s distinct lack of athletic skills. “I’ve been watching Jackson and Danny practice with some of the other guys over break and they are at peak performance.”

“Ewww. I don’t wanna hear anything about Jackson’s performance. Now get off your cute little ass and come wander around the woods with me."

“Interesting tactic. But it’s still no.”

“Lydia! Get up. You’re going to come with me. We’ve been friends since the third grade. And I know that somewhere under that cold, lifeless exterior, there’s an actual human soul. And I’m pretty sure I’m the only one who knows how adventurous you really are. So stop pretending to be a Regina George and just admit that you’re an Ellie. You know if I go on my own and something cool happens you’ll never forgive yourself for missing it.”

“Fine, Stiles. But you owe me. Something big.”

“You can have my first born,” he says dramatically, “especially if you’re the mother.”

“Just stop before I push your ladder over. Now climb back down while I get dressed. I’ll meet you outside in five.”

**

When they reach the entrance to the preserve, Stiles starts to exit the jeep but realizes that Lydia’s not moving. He raises his eyebrows at her beseechingly.

“Give me the flashlight," she says.

“Huh?” Stiles asks, "but I wanna carry it."

“First rule, I am not following you in there. When we go, you will follow me. I’m not getting out of this car until you agree and give me the flashlight. So hand it over.” Stiles grumbles but finally places it into her waiting hand.

He keeps right at her back as she carefully picks her way through the forest, Despite his attempt to match her unhurried demeanor, she can feel the impatient energy radiating from his body.

She stops before they reach the top of the ravine. “Let’s survey the area while we’ve still got coverage.” She flicks off the flashlight and their eyes adjust.

“Look, it’s the search team. C’mon let’s go.” Stiles's first impulse is to jump out and follow the action.

“We’re not going that way.” Lydia commands.

“Uh, yes we are.”

“No, we’re not.”

“Well, can I hold the flashlight then? At least some of the time?”

“No.”

“That’s it? That’s your total answer. Just no.”

“Think Stiles. What’s going to happen if they find us? Wait here, where we can see them but they can’t see us.”

“Fine. I’ll just lie here, seething with impotent rage.”

He flops his head onto the forest floor.

“Shhh. Isn’t that your dad?”

“Shit. What do we do?” As his voice rises Lydia claps a hand over his mouth.

“Well, first of all, don’t have a panic attack on me. We’re far enough away that I don’t think he heard your little freak out. And since we stayed in this spot, he hasn’t seen us yet. We’ll move once they’ve passed.”

After a few minutes the officers do indeed move on, oblivious to the two teenagers' presence. 

Lydia smiles broadly “And this is why I get to hold the flashlight. All of the time.”

*

They make their way back to the jeep, circling around the opposite direction from the deputies. As a stampede of deer approaches Stiles freezes. Lydia, of course, has already leapt out of the way and found a sturdy tree to perch in.

“Stiles, up here! Quickly,” she urges, pulling him to join her.

They hide there, as quiet as possible until the herd is gone. Stiles goes to jump down, but she throws an arm out to stop him, opposite finger pressed to her lips. Whatever the deer were running from is still on its way. After they see it, Stiles is incredibly relieved that Scott stayed at home since he starts to pass out and only Lydia ‘s superior reflexes and strength are enough to catch him before he plummets to his doom.

***

 

When they return to the preserve the next day their search for Stiles’ missing wallet is interrupted by a man who seems to appear out of thin air. “What are you doing here?” He asks as he stalks over towards them. “Huh? This is private property.” Stiles just stands there, mouth agape.

“No it’s not,” Lydia responds. “All this land became property of the county after the Hales abandoned it.

“Lydia,” Stiles whispers, elbowing her side, “ _that’s_ Derek Hale.

“Oh.” She finally takes a good look at muscled twenty-something in the leather jacket and smiles approvingly. “Why, hello, Derek. You certainly look different than the last time I saw you. You used to play varsity baseball right?”

“You know,” she adds with a hint of deviousness in her voice, “Stiles here played baseball too.”

“Um, excuse us one moment Derek,” Stiles cuts in, “we need to, uh, have a little conference.”

He pulls Lydia behind a large redwood, “What the hell are you doing?”

“What, he’s hot? What’s the problem?” she asks, already annoyed by the conversation.

“The problem is…Okay fine, I don’t know what the problem is.” Lydia can’t help but giggle at the way Stiles’ arms flail when he’s unable to make his point. “But are you flirting with him or trying to set him up with me?”

“Either, I guess? I suppose it depends on what he’s into.”

“Did you forget that you have a boyfriend?  A boyfriend that you claim to love so much you won’t even think about going out with me.”

“Stiles, Jackson is only one on a very, very long list of reasons why I won’t go out with you,” she says, her tone quite affectionate for the intended insult. “But you made your point. He’s yours.” She smiles. “If you think you could handle a guy like that.”

“Hey, I could totally handle a guy like that. I think the real question here is could he handle me.” Stiles puffs out his chest and attempts what he thinks is a manly smile but mostly reminds her of constipation.

“If you two are done whispering,” Derek calls, “maybe you could get a move on.”

“Sure thing there, Derek. Just trying to find something I dropped here the other night.”

Reaches into the pocket of his black leather jacket, “Here, catch,” he says, pitching a dark brown object directly into Stiles’ hands.

“Oh, you found it. Thanks dude.”

“You can leave now.”

“Wait, you were out here. Did you see it? The creature? It looked sort of like a wolf, except there are no wolves in California, so more like Beast, like from Beauty and the Beast, but not really like the Disney version.” Derek scowls and Lydia kicks him in the ankle. “Ow. Okay. Shutting up now.”

“Did it bite you?” Derek quickly moves closer to Stiles, begins to pat his sides and sniff the air around him.

“Wha-att?” This sudden invasion of his personal space is really confusing; not entirely unwelcome, but definitely weird.

“The thing you saw, did it bite either of you?”

“If it bit him do you think we’d be out here looking for his wallet? I think we’d be in the hospital.”

“Good.” Derek seems to realize what he’s been doing and takes his hands off of Stiles and backs away. “Just stay out of here at night.”  Derek starts to walk away, towards the burnt out remains of his family home.

Then he stops, turns back, and gives Stiles a devastating smile. “By the way, Caoimhghin, you need to replace your condom. They expire if you never use them.”

“OK, thanks.”

Then it registers.

“No! Hey man. I use them. I use them plenty. I just, uh, forgot about that one.”

“Whatever you need to tell yourself,” he calls over his shoulder.

“Did he just call you Kathleen? Is that why you won’t use your first name?” Lydia’s a little too gleeful at the thought for Stiles’ comfort.

“No! Not exactly. Well I’m not totally sure actually, but I don’t think so. Oh my God! We are not having this conversation.”

**

“What a jackass! Insinuating that I can’t get any. I get plenty. I mean, I’m sure I could. I mean, Argh! And using private information that’s supposed to stay between me, my family, and the State of California. The nerve of that guy!”

“Stiles.”

“What?”

“You’ve been talking about Derek Hale the entire ride home. Now stop or I’m going to commandeer the jeep and leave your horny ass by the side of the road.”

“Touch my jeep and I’ll rip your throat out.” He throws an exaggerated snarl in her direction for effect. “With my teeth.”

“Just drive,” she says unfazed by Stiles’ posturing. “We’re going to Deaton’s.”

“Wait? That vet Scott works for?”

“Yes, we saw a strange animal in the woods. The town animal expert seems like a good place to start.”

“Start? Start what?”

“Hunting, of course. We’re going to find the Beast.”

**

“Ms. Martin what a pleasure to see you. And Mr. Stilinski what a…surprise.” Stiles frowns, but can’t say he blames the guy for his reaction. The last time he came to visit Scott he knocked his container of borscht over a shelf of sterile bandages and was banned from entering the clinic again.

“Is there something I can help you with?” he asks, pointedly directing his attention at Lydia, while moving any breakable objects out of Stiles’ reach. “Everything all right with Prada?”

“No problems there.” She smiles. “Little guy’s as bright and playful as his namesake’s spring handbag collection.”

“I have no idea what that means, but I’m glad that he’s feeling well. So, what can I help you with?”

“I was just wondering of you might have some information about rare species sightings in the area,” Lydia begins, hoping to subtly build towards asking about what the saw the night before.

“We saw a beast!” Stiles jumps in, not able to hold his tongue any longer. “Like, imagine a cross between a sasquatch and a wolf with the mouth of a Xenomorph.

“The only one of those animals that is not fictional, Mr. Stilinski, is a wolf, and there haven’t been any of those around here for nearly a century.”

“I know,” he says, eyes practically jumping out of his head, “Exactly! So what the hell did we see?”

“It was probably a Black Bear. This is a little far from where they’re normally found but not unheard of. I wouldn’t worry about it.” Stiles is about to press the subject further when Lydia cuts in.

“What’s this?” She’s holding a rock with crystal structures inside of it that’s been serving as a paperweight.

“How can you not know what that is? We learned about these in Earth Sciences. You got an “A” in that class, remember. “

“I get an “A” in _every_ class. I know what a geode is, Stiles. But what the hell is _this_?” She turns it to face out towards them, displaying how the silicates are dissolving and reforming themselves.

“That’s _you_ , Ms. Martin.” Deaton says, a hint of surprise creeping into is usually unvarying tone of voice. “I think we need to step into the back and have a little talk.

“Mr. Stilinski, why don’t you wait out here and tell my next patient I’ll be a few moments.”

“C’mon. I want to come too. Tell him Lydia,” he whines and grabs for her shoulder. At the moment of contact the rock shoots out of her hand and smashes into the wall.

“Alright,” Deaton says, resigned to his Stilinski-inclusive fate, “I guess this is going to involve both of you. I’ll put the sign out.”

*

“So what happened out there? Why us? Why now? And how do we do it some more?” This may be Stiles’ best week ever, right up there with the time his parents took him to the East Coast for a week to see the last Subway Series, but even better because he’s old enough to really remember everything now. And there’s a chance that the bad guys won’t end up winning this one.

“Whatever it was, you each seem to have some sort of magic, which amplify when combined.

“It may never have manifested before because you didn’t know what you could do and there wasn’t a proper catalyst around. This office is, for lack of better word, charged. It may have jumpstarted your batteries, so to speak. Combined with the curiosity and openness brought out by what you saw the other night it opened channels that would have otherwise remained closed.

“Now that you’ve started, though, you’ll need to learn how to control your gifts. Find out exactly what you can do and how to do so safety. We can start basic lessons every day after school, until I find you a more experienced practitioner to complete your training.”

“And what about that thing we saw? Are you still sticking with your bear story?”

“First, let me ask, did you see anyone else out there?”

“We saw Derek. Derek Hale. His family all burned to death in a fire like ten years ago.”

“Yes, I know who the Hales are. And the fire was six years ago. But, that beast you saw may have something to do with him being back in town. The Hales are werewolves.”

“Yes! I knew it. I knew no human could be that hot.”

“You seem to be taking the news rather well, Mr. Stilinski.”

“Are you kidding? This is awesome. I feel like this is the moment I’ve been waiting for all my life. I can’t believe this shit is real. What about Succubi? Are they a threat? Because if you need someone to act as bait, I’d be willing to take one for the team.”

“Stiles, will you shut up and let him explain what’s going on here.”

“So, Dr. Deaton, are you telling us that that thing we saw is Derek Hale?” Stiles looks offended on Derek’s behalf at Lydia’s suggestion.

“No, it wouldn’t be Derek. He’s a Beta, and what you saw was an Alpha. Whoever it is, it killed Derek’s sister and it needs to be contained.”

“Contained, as in, we kill it?” Stiles asked.

“I’m not sure who exactly this “we” is going to consist of,” Deaton answered cautiously, “But yes, we probably need to kill it. I’ll reach out to Derek, see if he’s heard anything.

“In the meantime keep an eye out for anything unusual at school, signs that the Alpha’s bitten a new wolf, anyone displaying new abilities or strange reactions to loud noises.”

“Alright, got it. Superpowers equals wolfman. Anything else?

“Until we’ve determined exactly how your gifts work together, try not to touch each other any more than necessary.”

“Believe me, Doctor.” Lydia replies pertly, squinting at Stiles “that _won’t_ be a problem.”

***

It’s their fifth day of lessons, which, Stiles is disappointed to discover, are nothing like attending Hogwarts. The one major upside is Derek’s been sitting in on them, offering helpful hints and adding substantial improvement to the clinic’s décor. With his body. And his face.

Today, Deaton has them working on _purposefully_ rearranging organic matter, instead of just causing Chlorophytum comosum and Extatosoma tiaratum to randomly burst from the walls. Lydia blames that on Stiles spending too much time obsessing over Derek’s stubble.

 “I’ll need some purple cloth.”

“Lydia’s wearing purple,” Stiles volunteers.

Derek and Deaton look at her green dress in confusion as she hits Stiles with her purse.

“Hey, if you didn’t want me looking at your panties, you shouldn’t have worn a dress to training.”

“Fine, but I’ll need something else to wear. And don’t let Stiles anywhere near my underwear.”

“What kind of pervert do you think I am?” he protests.  All three of his companions give him looks that tell him he really doesn’t want them to answer that.

“Okay, fine. Pick on the teenager with the raging hormones. It’s not my fault. It’s biology. Anyway, I’ve got some shorts in the jeep you can change into. Be right back.”

“Fortunately, none of us need to touch the, um, material. Just take this urn into the backroom with you and place them in there.”

When Stiles gets back in she takes his pants into the back room and switches them with what she’s been wearing. When she comes back out, Deaton has the rest of the supplies on the table.

“So, you each place one hand on the urn and with the other grab each other’s wrist. Then concentrate on turning each cell purple.”

After a few moments the room begins to smell like spring rain and fresh tomatoes, but nothing’s happening to their target. Then Derek notices the streaks trailing from Lydia’s crown and gets Deaton’s attention. He quickly pulls their hands off of the urn and throws a loop of iron chain around it. They open their eyes and take a moment to reorient themselves after the jarring feeling of breaking a spell midway.

“What happened? Why did you stop us?”

Stiles first flushes and then looks like he’s going to faint. “Um, you better go look in the mirror, Lydia.”

She walks to the clinic’s bathroom and flips on the light. They expect to hear a scream but instead there’s just a careful clicking off the light and then the clicking of her heels against the linoleum as she makes her way back over the Stiles.

She glares. He cringes. She squints her eyes and glares at him even harder. He tries to scrunch his torso down and disappear.

Finally she grabs him by his jacket and throws him against the wall, the eight inches he has on her meaningless against the strength of her ire.

“Stiles! This was supposed to change the color of the wool blanket, not my hair.”

“I’m sorry. Your hair is very distracting.  There’s a lot of it. And it smells like pomegranate.”

“I’m going to kill you Stiles,” she says and then releases him, straightens out his jacket, “ _after_ we fix this.” She stops and takes a deep breathe, turns towards Dr. Deaton. “So how can we do that? This look is not working for me.”

“We could try to change it back, but if Mr. Stilinski’s focus is off, it could make things even worse. Perhaps your best option is to visit your hairdresser.”

“To die my hair back to the color it already was. Great. Fine. But in the meantime, Stiles, you’re the one explaining to my mother why my strawberry blonde hair has streaks of plum in it. Tell her it’s one of your gay things.”

“I’m not gay!” He protests and she glares in disbelief. “I’m bi, that’s not the same as gay.”

“I don’t care! As far as my mother’s concerned, you’re gay.” She turns and flounces towards the jeep.

 

On the way out, Stiles trudges, as if sentenced to execution. Derek grabs his wrist, gives him a slight smile and gently squeezes his hand, “At least it wasn’t her skin.”

It may be due to Derek’s touch or the vision of Lydia as Violet Beauregard, but either way Stiles walks out little less dejectedly after that.

***

“He’s turning into that? That has wings.” Derek has grown to _appreciate_ many things about Stiles during their weeks working together, but he’s still a little wary of his ability to focus when practicing magic.

“While I can’t say I’m entirely comfortable with the idea of an airborne Stiles myself, it will offer them the best approach to the Alpha and Lydia’s promised to keep him contained.”

*

“Valentine’s Day? Really? I finally have a boyfriend and I have to spend Valentine’s Day as a dragon so that you can play warrior princess and slay a giant dog.”

“You hardly seemed to think he was some overgrown puppy the last time you tried to kill the Alpha and ended up peeing yourself when he knocked you to the ground.”

“Damn it, Lydia! I didn’t pee myself. I told you, he drooled. A lot.” Stiles winced at the memory. The thick, slimy memory.

“Right on your crotch? Good story Stiles.”

“I can’t help it that he wanted a big old sniff at what I’m packing. At least I stopped him from killing that video store clerk.” 

“Sure, that was all you Stiles. Now bend over.”

“Woah, Lydia.”

“I need you to let me climb on your back before we start. That way I can make sure you mold into something I can stay seated on.”

“I always knew you’d want to ride me someday.” He leers suggestively.

“Shut up before I transform you into a rabbit instead. I’m sure you’d fare real well out here then.” She climbs up his stronger than expected body, wraps her arms and legs around his torso.

“OK. Help me Stiles. I can will your cells, but you need to believe it to let me in.”

And then it’s happening. His body is expanding and sprouting scales, wings push out of his sides, just below Lydia’s legs.

 “Hell yeah!” he says. But it just comes out as a lick of flame.

“Oh this is fantastic,” Lydia squeals. “You can’t speak in this form. I may never change you back.”

He stomps his enormous foot on the ground in protest.

“Alright Smokey, take us up,” she cries and he begins to flap his wings.

He bumps into a few trees at first, but soon they’re circling high above the preserve.

“Look,” Lydia says, pointing towards a ravine that leads out towards the hospital. “There he is.”

They swoop down and Stiles breathes fire onto the beast. Lydia dismounts and holds her sword aloft. It was welded by ancient elves from mithril mined by dwarves from the mines of Moria. OK, fine, it’s just regular steel, much to Stiles’ disappointment. But it’s sharp, and definitely strong enough to cut through the throat of a weakened Alpha. As the creature burns, he begins to shift into his human body.

“Lydia, wait. That’s Peter Hale, Derek’s uncle. We can’t just kill him; he’s the only family he has left.”

She lets out a huff in exasperation. “Fine, then. We’ll keep him immobilized and bring him back to Deaton. But if he gets away, any further casualties are on your hands.”

“Yeah, yeah, just wrap him up in plenty of wolfs bane. He should be out for a while now.”

***

When they first return to the clinic, Stiles takes Derek out back, to quietly tell him the news in private, while Lydia and Deaton secure the body. Derek tries to blame himself for not realizing it sooner and Stiles does his best to disavow him of that notion and provide what comfort he can. Once Derek’s ready to face the situation they return to the operating room.

“So, what do we do with him?” Stiles asks.

“Thanks to you two, the only person he actually killed was Laura. The authorities believe she was attacked by a mountain lion so there’s really no reason to get them involved. I think we should let Derek decide what to do next, since it was his sister.

“What do you say Derek? According to tradition you have the right to retribution. Is that what you want?” the older man asks him carefully.

“I’m not a killer, I hate what he’s taken from me, but I can’t kill my own uncle.”

“You also have the option of designating a proxy to carry out the execution for you.”

“It’s not just the deed,” he admits, “I don’t want to be an Alpha. Can you fix him? Make him like he was, before?”

“Before the fire? No. The mind is more than just the organic matter that makes up the brain. Peter would have to work at it for a true reconditioning to happen.

“Lydia can weaken him physically though. Give him the chance to live, possibly regain his humanity someday, but keep him from being a threat in the meantime. There’s a risk involved there. But it’s your choice.”

Stiles manages to keep quiet and just rubs soothing circles into Derek’s back until he’s ready to asnwer. “I’d like to try,” he says, “see if he can get back to who he used to be.”

“Alright Derek, you and Stiles go home. You’ve had a tough day. I’ll keep Peter here for now and then take him back to the long term care facility when he’s stable. We’ll tell them that we found him wandering in the woods, which actually isn’t far from the truth.” He turns towards toward Lydia but then redirects his attention back to the anguished beta.

“Derek. This isn’t your fault. None of it ever was and I’m sorry if my silence all these years led you to believe that it was. We, my associates and I, were wrong not to step in before. Let me assure you that the Argents are being handled now and will never pose a threat to you or any of your pack again.”

“Thank you,” he says, nodding, but holding his head up as his young but well-equipped mate leads him out.

***

***

 

“So, Lydia, do you think you could maybe do me a favor but not ask too many questions?”

She stares at her doofus of a best friend and magic partner and then motions him to go on. “Would it be possible to make me have a few extra arms, well, actually tentacles?”

“Tentacles.” She says arching an eyebrow. “Do I want to know why?”

“Um, probably not.” He stammers, a scarlet flush quickly traveling up his neck.

“Fine. They’ll probably dissipate on their own when you go to sleep. If not, stop by before school in the morning. And tell Derek I hope he appreciates the things I do for you.” She touches her hand to his back and soon he has four additional appendages.

“Thanks. Love you.” He kisses her cheek and one of his brand new squigglers pats her gently on the shoulder.

“Love you too,” she whispers as he walks out the door.

“I heard that,” he calls back over his shoulder.

“Tell anyone I said that Stilinski," she threatens, "and you’ll wake up a potato beetle.”

**Author's Note:**

> I didn't have anyone to beta this so please offer constructive criticism, point out errors, etc.  
> Thanks.


End file.
